


Happy A-Day!

by heyjupiter



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Fluff, Flufftober, Flufftober 2018, Multi, Polyamory, Post-Avengers (2012)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-19
Updated: 2018-10-19
Packaged: 2019-08-04 05:27:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16340660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heyjupiter/pseuds/heyjupiter
Summary: One year after the Chitauri Attack on New York, the city is celebrating with a parade in honor of its heroes. Bruce and Pepper are less excited about the parade than Tony is, but all of their fans are happy to see them. Plus, it's nice to have some way of marking their 1-year anniversary.





	Happy A-Day!

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [Flufftober 2018](http://giucorreias.tumblr.com/post/178237646439/so-i-was-looking-around-and-noticed-there-were-a)! A mix of prompt 10, "Holiday" and prompt 11, "Heart." (Posted late but still within the beautiful month of Flufftober.)

Pepper surveyed herself in the mirror one last time, confident that her ponytail was perfectly in place. She knew today's event wasn't about her, but there were still going to be people looking at her, and she wanted to have her best foot forward. Despite Tony's repeated offers, she didn't have any actual armor of her own; she relied on expertly applied MAC in Iron Man Red to give her some small protection.

Satisfied with her appearance, she left the safe space of her bathroom and was surprised to find that both Bruce and Tony were already waiting by the elevator. 

" _There_ you are," Tony said. "I guess it takes time to look as good as you do."

Pepper resisted the urge to mention how often she had to wait for _him_ to get ready; she knew he was nervous. They were all nervous. Compared to Bruce's visibly anxious expression, Tony would have looked calm and confident to most observers, but Pepper knew his tells. His smile was a little too tight and his eyes were a little too sharp.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," she said. "But there's still plenty of time before it starts."

"Yep. Enough time for you to change your shirt," Tony replied, tossing a green T-shirt at her. "Happy A-Day!"

She was about to protest that she'd spent _time_ picking out her outfit for the day--something polished, but casual, and unlikely to show sweat stains--but then she unfolded the shirt and saw that it said "I (heart) the Hulk."

"You don't have to wear it," Bruce said softly. "You look really nice."

She smiled. "Of course I'll wear it. I do heart the Hulk, after all."

Bruce smiled back and blushed almost as red as the shirt he was wearing. She realized that under his crossed arms, his T-shirt said "I (heart) Iron Man."

Tony leaned over and kissed Bruce's flushed cheek. "He's so cute when he blushes, isn't he, Pep? Doesn’t it just make you heart him even more?"

"It really does." Pepper tugged the Hulk shirt on over her sleeveless J. Crew shell. Then she took another look at Tony and saw that his black T-shirt, instead of its usual band logo or science joke, said, "I (heart) Pepper," backlit by the glow of the arc reactor.

"Wait, they're not selling _those_ , are they?" she asked. She'd seen the Hulk and Iron Man shirts before; you could buy them for any Avenger. But Pepper wasn't an Avenger.

"It's one of a kind, babe," Tony replied. "It's going to be under the armor most of the day...but it's the thought that counts, right? I mean, I'll know it's there."

"It's a very nice thought," she affirmed. "Okay, you're all ready to go?"

In response, Tony casually lifted the case that held his armor. "Happy's waiting with the car. I just wanted a goodbye kiss."

Pepper smiled and kissed him. "Bye, honey. Be safe."

"Are you sure? It seems like the lesson here is that when I do unsafe things, we get a parade."

"Nope. Not funny. Too soon," Pepper said. She tried to keep her tone level. It had been one year since the Chitauri Attack on New York. New York was celebrating its heroes with a parade, much to Pepper's dismay. She didn't want to remember that horrible day, let alone celebrate it. But Tony was participating, and she was trying her best to be supportive.

"Fine, fine." Tony turned to Bruce and said, too casually, "You know, big guy, it's not too late for you to join--"

"Ha, no thanks, Tony," Bruce said firmly. "I'm fine on the sidelines."

Tony sighed. "I guess at least Pepper won't be lonely."

"Thank God," Pepper said. She meant it; since Tony was so frequently in the spotlight, it was really nice to have someone to share the sidelines with. Someone tangible, unlike JARVIS.

"I'll see you both afterwards. We'll get shawarma!" Tony said as he left.

Bruce and Pepper peered out the window at the street below. Avengers Tower was the parade's designated endpoint, mainly so the Avengers could duck inside the building without being mobbed. It would be hours before the parade got there, but there was already a sizeable crowd on the sidewalk. Many of the attendees were holding signs, though they were too far away to read.

"Hey, do you think I should make a poster? Something like, 'Sorry for smashing so much stuff?'" Bruce asked.

Pepper snorted, although, as was often the case with Bruce, his attempt at self-deprecating humor was a little depressing. "If anything, you should make one that says, 'You're welcome.'"

Bruce shook his head and asked, "Should we go down and find a spot?" 

Pepper eyed Bruce's worried face. It was strange how such a physically invulnerable man could make her feel so protective. He'd come out of his shell a lot over the last year, but after seeing the crowd below, he looked just about as distressed as she'd ever seen him. "We can just watch it from up here, you know. Or we could close the blinds and watch a movie."

Bruce twisted his hands and said, "Tony really wanted us to be in the crowd."

"I know, but Tony wants a lot of things. He'll understand if we stay in." Bruce didn't like crowds and he didn't like to be reminded of the Hulk. Today's parade seemed specifically designed to stress him out, and Pepper knew that Tony knew that. Besides, she wasn't wild about the parade either, and she'd be happy for an excuse to skip it.

"I'm fine! I'm not going to--I'm fine!"

Trying her best to navigate Bruce's prickly mood, Pepper said, "No, of course I know you're not going to change. But it's still a hard day." 

"It's a hard day for you, and Tony, too, and he wanted us to be here, and I--I'm sorry, I know I'm--not the most fun guy to go to a parade with, but I'll try."

He looked at her with determination in his hazel eyes. Pepper felt a swell of affection for Bruce, who was generally so kind to everyone except himself. She wasn't sure what Tony had said to Bruce to make him so intent on standing outside in the crowd; she didn't think Tony would even be able to notice them. But she, of all people, understood how persuasive Tony could be when he set his mind on something. She reached out to cover Bruce's hands with her own and said, "Shh. There's nobody I'd rather watch this madness with than you."

"Same," Bruce said, with a crooked smile. "So--shall we?"

"Okay, let's go down. But if you change your mind, just say the word. We're right here, we can go inside. Neither I nor my allegedly sweatproof makeup will mind at all." 

On the street, Pepper put her arm around Bruce's waist. After a moment's hesitation, he put his arm around her shoulders and leaned against her. They watched the crowd, and Pepper realized how clever Tony's seemingly egocentric gifts really were. She and Bruce blended into the crowd perfectly. The "I (heart) Avengers" shirts were everywhere.

She nudged Bruce and said, "Look how many green shirts there are."

"I still don't get that whole thing," Bruce said with a sigh. He gestured at his own shirt and said, "The others, I get it, why you'd want an Iron Man shirt or a Captain America shirt, but Hulk?"

"Hey. You listen to me, Bruce. That day--this day that we're celebrating--I--I almost lost Tony. But I didn't. Because of you. Because of the Hulk. And I'm far from the only person who can say that, you know. That the Hulk kept them from losing someone that day, and other days since. So of course people love the Hulk."

"I don't even remember most of that day."

"Well, it was mostly horrible."

"I do remember having that impression, yeah."

"But it ended up great, because Tony did come home alive, and he brought you with him." Pepper remembered how battered and bedraggled Tony and Bruce had both been that night. She'd barely been introduced to Bruce when he politely excused himself to sleep for sixteen hours. Meanwhile, she'd tried to get Tony to sleep, but he stayed up half the night gushing to her about how brilliant and funny and adorable Bruce was. She quickly realized that Tony was right about Bruce, although she also thought _she_ was right about Tony needing more sleep.

Bruce smiled. "Yeah, that part did turn out pretty great."

"So if you think about it, this parade is really an anniversary party for the three of us. I mean, I know we didn't get together that night...but still. Kind of a momentous first date, and I'm so glad it brought us together."

Bruce ducked his head shyly. He really was adorable. "Thanks, Pepper. Uh, me too."

Bruce had started to relax a little bit when they were approached by a pair of young teen boys wearing "I (heart) Iron Man" shirts, who stared with wide eyes for a long moment before Pepper said, "Hi, can we help you with something?"

"Oh man, sorry, that was awkward," the smaller boy said.

"It's just--we're such big fans. Oh man, still being awkward," the larger one said.

"But you're Dr. Bruce Banner, right?"

Bruce froze, and Pepper pressed her hand flat against his back in reassurance. Her other hand gripped her phone tightly, just in case. These boys didn't really seem like threats, but it didn't hurt to be prepared.

The smaller boy, apparently taking Bruce's panicked look as confirmation, continued, "We learned about you at school, Dr. Banner, and your work is so _interesting._ "

"But then you like, disappeared. What have you been working on?"

"Well," Bruce said. 

Bruce looked to Pepper for help, but before she could say anything, the larger boy gasped. "Oh man, have you been working on like, top secret Avengers stuff? You totally have, but you can't tell us, right?"

"Um," Bruce said.

"Oh my god, that's so cool," the smaller boy said. "We'll leave you alone so we don't blow your cover or anything, but it was so great to meet you."

"Totally great," the other boy affirmed.

"Thanks, you too," Bruce managed. He let out a deep breath after the boys melted back into the crowd, chattering excitedly at each other.

"Aww, you and the Hulk both have fans," Pepper said.

"That's so weird," Bruce muttered.

"They were sweet."

The parade started in earnest and made it hard for them to talk. They watched as glittery floats and high school marching bands went by, all paying tribute to their heroes in their own way. They saw cardboard Avengers, balloon Avengers, and paper mache Avengers. They saw people with startlingly realistic Avengers costumes, and people with uncomfortably sexual Avengers costumes. But mostly they just saw the love New Yorkers felt for the Avengers. At least, that was what Pepper saw--she hoped Bruce saw it too, and understood that it included him, even if it was hard to reconcile all the depictions of a fierce green monster with the gentle scientist who stood beside her.

She still wished that the men she loved didn't risk their lives quite so much, but she _was_ proud of them. And she was glad that Tony had convinced them to watch the stupid parade.

Finally, the parade reached its conclusion. The crowd completely lost it when Steve, Nat, and Clint appeared, riding in a convertible and masking their discomfort with varying degrees of success. Clint, the former circus performer, seemed like he might actually enjoy it. Steve looked like he might throw up. Nat was as unreadable as ever.

Tony and Rhodey flew overhead, showing off with aerial stunts and light effects. Rhodey hadn't technically been there for the Attack on New York, but War Machine was hugely popular anyway, so no one seemed to mind his presence. (Of course, Tony would have thrown a fit if they had.)

Pepper glanced over at Bruce, ready to pull him inside if he looked too anxious. The crowd was at its height of size and volume, but he seemed fairly calm. He was looking up at the sky; his eyes were following Tony across the sky and his mouth was curved into a wide smile. Pepper leaned against Bruce and smiled too. It was a nice change to see Tony get to look heroic without being in mortal danger for once.

Finally, the Avengers escaped indoors, and the crowd began to disperse. As Pepper and Bruce slowly made their way to the building's private entrance, a young woman in an "I (heart) Black Widow" shirt noticed Pepper and said, "Excuse me, are you Pepper Potts?"

"Yes?"

The girl beamed. "Oh my god, you are such a boss bitch!"

"What?"

"Sorry, I mean, in a good way. You're like my idol. Oh my god, my friends are going to be so jealous I met you, they all left the parade early because it was too loud."

"Me?" Pepper asked. 

"Yes! I'm in business school and I just--what you're doing with Stark Industries is so iconic, honestly. I know Tony Stark is a genius for tech stuff, obviously, but, I mean, I just read that piece in the Wall Street Journal about your new employee wellness policies--well, sorry, I'm babbling, but, wow! It means so much to us to see CEOs who like, actually care about their employees."

"Well, thank you so much."

"Plus it's so inspirational how you started out as Tony Stark's personal assistant, like, it's just great to know that sometimes talent can rise to the top like that. You should totally write a book."

Pepper bit back a laugh, knowing how much of her story was unpublishable. "I'll think about it. What's your name?"

"Melissa. Melissa Yang." 

"Well, Melissa, I'll keep my eye out for your resume," Pepper said.

"Oh my god, really?"

"Of course. Good luck with school! It was nice to meet you." Pepper extended her hand and Melissa enthusiastically shook it.

When Pepper and Bruce had safely made it inside the private elevator, Bruce said, "Hey, you have fans, too!"

"I guess I do. That's weird," Pepper said. She'd certainly had colleagues who were excited to have business meetings with her as CEO of SI, but she rarely encountered normal people who were excited to meet her.

"No, it's not."

"Weren't you just saying you didn't get why anyone would like the Hulk?"

"It's weird that _Hulk_ has fans, not that _you_ do. The Hulk's a big green monster. You're a brilliant, beautiful businesswoman."

"Hey, are you calling me weird?" Pepper asked, pointing to her shirt.

"Well, yeah, but I like weird."

Pepper kissed him and said, "Me too. I really like weird."

They were still kissing when the elevator door opened. 

Tony, out of the armor but still wearing his "I (heart) Pepper" shirt, said, "Ooh, I was hoping you were the shawarma delivery, but this is even better."

Bruce and Pepper smiled and stepped out of the elevator. They each embraced Tony in their turn. Iron Man was New York's hero, but Tony was theirs.

"So, how was the parade?" Tony asked.

"You looked great," Bruce replied. 

Tony grinned. "Of course I did. You liked the light show?"

"Definitely. But the best part was probably how no aliens attacked," Bruce said.

"Yeah, I could get used to that," Tony said.

"Me three," Pepper said. "Oh, but the other best part was that Bruce got to meet his fans."

"So did Pepper!"

Tony's grin widened. "Good."

"How about you? How was it?" Pepper asked.

"It was fun," Tony said. He also seemed less anxious than he had before the parade. Pepper suspected Tony had felt boosted by the crowd's energy just as she and Bruce had. That, and maybe the therapist Pepper had made him see was starting to earn her keep. 

Another elevator opened, and a delivery person with two huge bags stepped out. His eyes widened as he realized who was waiting for him. "Oh my god," he said.

Tony smiled expectantly, and the delivery person continued, "Pepper Potts! I'm--wow, sorry, I know you just want your food, but I'm working my way through my MBA and I'm actually writing a case study about you right now, and how innovative your new sustainability practices are...uh...sorry, just, you're great, here's your food, it's all set and you don't need to sign for anything."

"Thank you so much," Pepper said, accepting the heavy bags of food. Bruce quietly took the bags from her and carried them to the kitchen, freeing Pepper's hands so she could give the guy her business card and a cash tip. 

"Hey, another fan of yours!" Tony said.

"He probably just didn't recognize you without the armor," Pepper suggested playfully.

"Nah, he's just smart enough to know who the real heroes are. He's gonna have to make his own T-shirt, though, this one's mine," Tony replied, tapping his chest. Pepper was reminded again why she loved Tony; he obviously had a healthy ego, but that didn't stop him from being the biggest supporter of his loved ones. "Hey, I don't know about you, but all of this being adored by the masses really builds up an appetite. You wanna head for the kitchen before Bruce eats all the fries?"

"Yeah, sounds good. Happy A-Day," Pepper said. She linked her arm through Tony's and they started walking to the kitchen.

"Happy A-Day to you too," Tony replied. "Hey, have you thought about how it's also kind of our anniversary with Bruce? I mean, I know we didn't take him to bed right away, but that was mostly just because he was too tired."

"And traumatized."

"Tired and traumatized, that's our Bruce," Tony said warmly. "Anyway, we should get him flowers or something."

"Maybe I'll give him my fries. He'd probably prefer that."

"Wow, that's love."

"It really is," Pepper said. 

Pepper stepped into the kitchen, where Bruce was setting the table for seven. The world had changed for everyone since the Avengers first assembled, but Pepper knew that she had definitely gained more than she lost in the Chitauri Attack on New York.


End file.
